Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-27
THE PRESBYTERIANS.
The Majority of the Special Committee
Report Adversely to the Union OF
the North and South Churches.
A Communication From the American
House of Bishop, of the Episcopal
Church Read and Referred.

ST. LOUIS, Mo, May 2S.-In the South
ern Presbyterian Assembly this morning
the committee on organization OF the CO.
operative union, or other relations with
the PRESBYTERIAN church of the United
States, DR.. Snoot, chairman, presented
three reports. The committee is COM
posed of twenty-six members, sixteen OF
whom made e majority report, nine
minority report aud one minimum mi
nor report. The majority recommends
the appointment of q committee to be
composed of five ministers, five ruling
elders and the moderator OF the assembly,
TO confer with a similar committee from
the other assembly and consider the whole
subject, the committee to report at the
next general assembly. This committee
is instructed to take and maintain the
following position: Their &C
ceptance of the common standards of
our church confession of faith. The
longer and shorter catechism does not, in
our minds, form e sufficient basis OF I'M
ion, but the acceptance of that peculiar
Interpretation of our standards which at
firms and emphasizes the thoroughly
scriptural nature of Chrisrs kingdom
and forbids her legislating upon political
or civil matters Is the only true basis Vi
union, and, further, we insist that the
ColOred brethren within our bounds shall
be organized into separate congregations,
presb teries and synodS. The report
which was read by Dr.. Smoot says;
eve are Of opinion that the diff
Culties in the way of union are so
numerous and of so serious nature that
thew cannot be removed. They arise
mainly out of the fact that the two
churches are not agreed in matters Of
either principle or polity The plea that
the two have the same 'cODfession Of
faith" may be fully met by the simple
statement that evangelical congregations
have thu same Protestant Bible, but the
differences IN one case as n the other
arises out Of the Interpretation Of
the tsashiDg of the two books,
$50 the. sebarate existence OF the southern
3phurcRfsas much demanded, because of
tlsesw1$efy different Interpretation of the
language OF that confession Of faith II
matters Of doctrines. No suggestion
hiss been made or, in the opinion of those
signing the paper can be made, for the re-
mOVal of this most serious obstacle
this question. TO unite or attempt tO
unite the TWO churches on any cOmprO-
mise on fundamental differences, O. upon
any general statements, such as the
reception OF standards "pure and
simple" serves only to bring together
those who could not act in harmony and
would perpetuate strife and dissenstOn.
THESE conclusions have been reached by
~, yF+g~ fr-ll nd pornr3a-p inn
of the whole question in the light Of ali
the papers submitted for cur considera-
ton. The discussion of the question for
sometime past by the north and south
has made it equally manifest that further
agitation ofthis question would hinder the
progress, weaken the efficiency and endaD-
ger The unity Of our own church. The
minimum report Of Mr.. Parks dissents
from the majority and says the union of
the two great bodies of Presbyterians
would make too large a body and its en-
tertainment would be en- intOlerable bur
den on the churches where meetings
should be held. The union would pro-
duCe dismemberment Of the southern
church, large numbers OF influential mem
beTs Of the latter being radically opposed
toAuCh action. The assembly should So
f1ieit an expression from the Presbyteries
before taking action. A member should not
be sent out tC fed q wife FOR the body be-
fore it is known the body wanted q wife.
a communication was received from the
American house OF bishops OF the EpiscO-
PAL church with reference 10 4 union of
all Protestant churches, and expressing
the nope that the unhappy breach now
existing between the various churches
could be healed. The declarations OF
1853 and 1850, advocating q Christian
union against the usurpation CT the
Bishop OF hen1e were referred 20. The
enumerated the grounds
t4scamFaoR belief and practice among
Protestant churches. The matter was
referred to the committee on foreign cor
respondence to formulate z reply.
ST. LOUIS, Mo, May 25.-The Presby-
terrain General Assembly South devoted
the morning session to argument on the
organic union. Elder J. I. Livingston Of
Georgia and Rev j. NJ. Potts of Alabama
spoke in favor of union with the northern
church and w II. Parks OF St, Louis OPP
posed It.
The invitation of the Second Presbyterian
Caurch of Philadelphia for the assembly
to hold their next session in that city and
extending their hospitality was declined
IS this assembly has no church in Phila-
delphia, but they resolved to hold their
next session IN May, 1888 at Baltimore and
to take recess the fourth, Thursday in
May and proceed to Philadelphia TO assist
in the centennial anniversary
of the Reformed Presbytery
of America. They further accepted
their quota Of addresses and the follow
ing speakers and subjects were assigned:
Rev B. NJ. Palmer, Children of the Gov
enaDt. Rev. NJ. D. Hogc, city, Eyangel-
ization. Rev. J. L. Gerard, History of
Presbyterienism and its Work for
the Future Rev. NJ. II. Houston, Foreign
Missions Rev. W. W. Moore, Home
Missions Rev. J. Witherspo0D, clos
ing address. j. Randolph Tucker Of Viz
ginia, adoption of Presbyterisnism TO the
Masses. W. G. p. Beck OF Kentucky,
Cslvanism and Religious Liberty. J. S.
Cot-eraa OF South Caroline, Calvanism
and Human Progress Clifford Anderson
OF Georgia, Lay Efforts Among the
Masses.